Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I, too, would prefer not to heckle. It is critically important that we focus on developing a strategy. We can all be the wise man in the pub or the hurler on the ditch and play down each element of the game, but the public expects more from us. It has put its faith in us to come at this from a different point of view by suggesting solutions that meet their needs rather than acting as commentators or loudhailers on individual issues. That does not take from the individual cases raised by other contributors.

The Government's strategy is bringing the real reforms required in the health services. Debates such as tonight's often distract us from the discussions we should be having on the strategies we need to develop. The public's attention is turned to individual cases rather than to the broad framework for delivering a coherent policy that meets the needs of citizens. In that context, it is critical that we understand from whence we came. My mother is a retired nurse who worked as a midwife in a small district hospital with 34 or 35 beds. Nobody would suggest today that delivering children in such an environment is a safe practice. We have made significant progress over the decades in terms of delivering services. Last night, the Minister set out the improvements made on life expectancy, which has risen from considerably below the EU average to above it. The continuous efforts by vested interests to focus on individual heart-rending cases do a disservice to our attempts to introduce a better model that can address these cases.

I acknowledge the tremendous work being done in the National Rehabilitation Hospital. I have personal experience of people who have been involved with the hospital over the years. Any Deputy who has ongoing contact with constituents will be aware that its limited number of places are much sought after. I look forward to the implementation of the strategy set out by the Minister for defining the services required through further research into best practice and understanding the needs of the population. We need to put in place financial supports to enhance that service in Dún Laoghaire and elsewhere. I would like similar facilities to be established in the south, perhaps in the Munster region, and in the north west. The Government provided €30 million this year and, while we all agree we would like to see more, that is an issue which the HSE will have to address within its overall budget.

I would like to see professionals in the HSE, particularly consultants, coming together to agree strategies for progress. For too long, the HSE and the Government have been negotiating the consultants' contract. The sooner we get beyond that to focus on the delivery of coherent services to all citizens, the better.

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